NCAA Football - what does Mississippi State's future hold
NCAA football odds - Mississippi State
- Has Sylvester Croom found a decent starting quarterback?
- Is Mississippi State's defense the best in the SEC?
- Can Mississippi State get to eight wins again?
Sylvester Croom has been at Mississippi State for four seasons and, after accumulating only nine wins in the first three years, the Bulldogs won eight games last year. If you bet on sports, you want to know if this team is for real or not. Was last year an aberration, where they stunned a number of teams, like Alabama, as an underdog? Or should we get accustomed to seeing the Bulldogs as a favorite in the days to come?
Croom has been looking for a quarterback since the day he got the job. Bettors have been deterred from the Bulldogs as well because of the lack of marquee signal caller. But they might have their best quarterback to date, and in the West Coast offense you don't necessarily need Tom Brady.
The Bulldogs ranked 113th in offense last year, which tells us two things: their offense is awful but their defense is pretty darn good.
Betting the under has been a smart play with this team and it should get plenty of action once again.
Eight starters return to a very stout defense that won't have problems shutting down most offenses. They will still struggle a bit with the elite offenses - who doesn't? - but this could become one of the best defenses in the SEC. Tackles Kyle Love and Jessie Bowman form an underrated tandem and they'll chew up blockers while the solid linebacking corps roams free.
One thing the Bulldogs must improve on is getting sacks. They finished dead last in the conference in that category.
The offense will be on the shoulders of quarterback Wesley Carroll, who was understandably up and down starting as a true freshman last year.
He showed flashes of greatness, like when he threw for four touchdowns in the upset over Alabama, but also had his poor stretches, as seen in his 18-39 effort to close out the year against Central Florida. There's reason for optimism, though, because the team was still 6-3 in the games he started. He'll again be supported by one of the best ground games in the SEC.
Online sportsbooks have set the over/under for wins at 6.5 for the Bulldogs, even though they won eight games last year. Their schedule is very favorable to get over. They start with a trip to Louisiana Tech and then a home contest against Southeastern Louisiana. That should lead to a 2-0 record before Auburn visits on September 13th.
The Bulldogs are no longer the whipping boy in the SEC and with a good defense and a developing offense, they are capable of upsetting some of the big boys at home.
Matt's Pick: Over 6.5 Wins
For all your online sports betting needs, visit the betonline.com offshore sportsbook. Be sure to visit the Bettor's Edge daily for the hottest tips, info and college football betting.
After working on the college football recruiting trail as an assistant, Matt Jeremy employed his knowledge of personnel into handicapping the sport. From stadium nuances to coaching strategies, Jeremy has a sharper perspective on the sport than the average capper. He's got you covered from sideline to sideline.
